Two months are left before the World Cup kicks off. Twelve years after being awarded the rights to host the tournament, the tiny Gulf state of Qatar has built the stadiums, opened five-lane highways and a $36 billion Metro system to ensure that fans from all over the world can attend. With just a few weeks to go before the big kick off, how prepared is it?
The first Northern Hemisphere winter World Cup and the first to be held in the Middle East will be hosted in the year 2020.
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Every major tournament, from the Olympics to the World Cup, takes place amidst concerns of stadiums not being ready, security issues or expensive accommodations and travel for fans. With the opening game of the tournament just 61 days away, there is good and bad news as the tournament draws closer.
The World Cup is going to be hosted by Qatar.
The last of the seven new stadiums built for the World Cup was the Lusail Iconic Stadium, which hosted a match between Egypt's Zamalek and Al-Ahly of Saudi Arabia. The Lusail will be the site of the World Cup final on December 18th, and it's a big stadium.
The seven new buildings are ready and match-tested for the World Cup, while the stunning designs of Al-Bayt Stadium and Al Janoub will ensure that Qatar gets 10 out of 10 for aesthetic and style. There is little in the way of fan amenities with just a few weeks to go before fans are able to travel between the stadiums.
There are no hotels, shops or cafes in stadiums that are surrounded by dust bowls. Between now and the World Cup, all stadiums will have fan zones, food stalls and fun areas, but there is more to do.
It will be a concern. There is a lot of building going on right now. Some hotels won't be finished in time. A five-year project to build hotels, restaurants, shops and apartments around the Lusail is not done yet.
Fans will stay where they are.
More than one million fans are expected to visit the country during the World Cup, which is equal to half the population of the country. There won't be enough room for all of them to stay in the country.
Fans will be able to take the 40-minute flight from the United Arab Emirates to the other side of the world on the shuttle flights. Six flights a day are the average for the route.
Banana Island, a 20-minute boat ride from Doha, is offering beach villas on stilts above the water for thousands of dollars per night. The families of France and England players have already been booked at Banana Island, according to sources. 20,000 rooms are due to be released in the month before the tournament in order to accommodate teams and officials.
There will be tented campsites at the festival, similar to those at music festivals, with a tent for $380 a night. Thousands of cabins will be offered at the Al Wakrah Camp, but they don't offer much in the way of luxury. There are rows of metal cabins in the desert.
They will be a culture shock to many fans, but they will be ready and appealing.
There is a situation with alcohol. Fans can drink or not.
During the World Cup, alcohol will be strictly controlled, but can be purchased in the country. The head of security for the Supreme Committee said that fans couldn't bring their own booze to the tournament.
Fans with a lot of money can go to one of the many luxury hotels in the city and buy alcohol from the sports bars. The prices for beer in the Inter Continental Beach, Marriott Marquis and Kempinski Pearl range from between 12 and 14 dollars for a beer.
Fans won't be able to buy a beer or watch the game from the stands because alcohol will be available for supporters before and after the game. Beer will be provided at stadiums and fan zones. Alcohol will only be served at the fan zone after 6:30 pm on match days.
There are no plans to allow visitors to buy alcohol outside of hotels, restaurants and fan zones during the World Cup, despite the fact that non-Muslim residents in the country can get a permit to buy alcohol from the distribution company. According to sources, drinking in public can lead to a six-month prison sentence if you're caught with alcohol.
It's easy to get around the eight stadiums.
In recent World Cup tournaments in Russia and Brazil, fans had to travel a long way to get to the stadiums, but that won't be the case in the upcoming World Cup in Qatar. New roads and a metro system connect all the stadiums. Fans with match tickets will be able to use the Metro for free during the World Cup.
The stadium air-con works then.... pic.twitter.com/GVpzSiXfcM
— Mark Ogden (@MarkOgden_) September 7, 2022
Inexpensive and widely available, the ubers are. 40 riyal is the price for a 30 minute journey from the airport to the center of the city.
If fans were feeling adventurous, they could ride the Metro between all the venues in just over two hours. It is necessary for fans to have a match ticket and download the Hayya app in order to get into the country.
What about the airconditioning? Is that true?
The stadiums will have air conditioning for spectators and players during the tournament, but it may not be necessary due to the high temperatures in November and December. During games, the temperature in the stands will be kept under control. Fans may need to take a coat to avoid feeling cold at some games because of the cool air coming from the seat level Vents at seat level will pump out cool air so fans may need to take a coat to avoid feeling cold at some games
350 different sensors are buried beneath the grass and will be used to control the air conditioning at pitch level. The temperature and humidity will be measured while the air conditioning system adjusts the temperature for the players on the field.
The air will be refreshed frequently to ensure optimum air quality and to help combat the spread of viruses such as COVID-19.
The system of making the stadiums eco-friendly was designed by Dr. Cool. 10 times more electricity will be required to power the air conditioning units than will be generated by the solar farms.
Is it safe to host the World Cup in Qatar?
Every major tournament is now accompanied by a major security operation. Expertise and personnel from other countries will be drafted in due to the large security forces. The U.S. Air Base at Al Udeid will provide security during the tournament.
The control centre for the World Cup has been built in a way that resembles a NASA facility. Each stadium has at least 2,000 security cameras to keep an eye on the crowd. Crowd flow can be too large or too small at certain times.
"If a crowd situation forms, we will detect it and act proactive," said Niyas Abdulrahiman, the chief technology officer at Aspire Zone. The entire stadium is being watched.
A video screen highlighting the cyber threat level across the globe ran next to the stadium data screens to highlight their awareness of potential targeting of the system from hackers.
Will the games sell out or not?
Fans from all over the world have purchased 2.5 million tickets for the event. The United States, Mexico, England and Brazil have all been strong markets for tickets.
The final 500,000 tickets will go on sale before the end of the month, so the games should be played in full stadiums. The excitement in the Middle East and surrounding regions has been huge, despite the concerns of supporters in Europe and the Americas.
Fans from Iran and north Africa are expected to travel in larger numbers than before, while expatriates living and working in Qatar are expected to watch their nations in action. If you don't already have a ticket, you need to get one quickly.
The overall assessment is about whether or not the country will pull it off.
The World Cup won't be the same as before, but the crucial elements are in place now that the stadiums have been built.
There will be a problem with the lack of accommodations. According to sources, the Qatari mentality is to leave things to the last minute. According to sources, that approach has jarred some at FIFA who expect every project to run smoothly.
Fans may have to prepare themselves for a tournament that doesn't have the off-field distraction of the World Cup in different parts of the world because time is running out for work to be finished. Perfect conditions for football should be ensured by the facilities.
The big question is whether such a small country can handle such a large influx of supporters. Everything will get going in 61 days.
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